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OK - So today i got to go for my first ever pre-sale for the Singapore show. Due to location and circumstance, I had never been in a position to go through this process before, so having been a member of U2.com for years, the Singapore announcement was a dream come true. Having watched from the sidelines for a number of years, i had always thought the moderators did a fanstastic job, and felt a strong sense of community within Zootopia. Today, when things went a bit awry in the presales, I experienced first hand what I have watched for years and I am very grateful. The image below pretty much sums up the roller coaster from this morning and for me two things are very clear:
1. buying tickets for these concerts is in no way a neutral experience, and
2. The moderators annd community are just fantastc.
What is also missing from the picture is "thankfullness" to the mods, and to the community who actively participate in helping others. This is literally off the chart.

Welcome guys to this new thread that will hopefully be filled with laughter and conversations and will turn into a nice chapter of the zootopians resilience. ✌️
Ghost towns are emerging all over the world because of that nasty virus and the very necessary lock in. Every day it just gets a bit more scarier. Anxiety is rising up for everyone. I was walking the aisles of my local supermarket the other day and all I could see was empty shelves. No toilet paper, no canned tuna, not the one veggie that my kids actually want to eat. That’s depressing. The fear in people's eyes and distancing is depressing. Where is the world heading ? And then there was a sound.. That PA blaring music. And guess what ? It was a U2 song. That’s when I realized that there’s one thing we will never lack of, and that’s music.
Music that lifts us up and brings us together at all times. The good and the bad.
After the subscriber special streaming of #U2Berlin4k,the worst thing happened. Silence.
We just had two hours of fun, joy and friendship. Two hours that allowed our minds to wander back to better days and take that much needed break from reality. And in that silence I could only hear my own thoughts resonating “ We need that. We need that light.” And that’s how the first spark started. As it often is, an idea led to another one, to another person, and then another and that’s when I saw we were all on the same page.
As I was saying on my post yesterday, we have all the means necessary to keep the party going. We’re stuck home with a bunch of DVDs and a whole world of friends at our fingertips. The #U2Fam knows all about social distancing already. U2 has been building bridges across the world and our hearts for over 40 years so yes we know how that works to be away from our friends. But we also know how much stronger that bond gets then.
From Saturday 28th, we’ll be throwing watch along parties every week at 9GMT until we’re all out and safe - or run out of DVDs.
Everybody’s welcome to join and participate. And here’s how we gonna do it :
We’ll have a poll open here on the Zoo and on twitter for a whole week so YOU can choose which live shows you’d like to watch - People have the power !
Every Saturday, put on your DVD and press play at exactly 9PM GMT so we’re all in synch (Note : It won’t be streaming from the site or else, it will be your own material)
Chat along here on the zoo or on twitter using the #U2getherAtHome hashtag.
Grab a fresh beer or two and install a mirror ball (optional)
Enjoy. Have fun. Forget about the outside world for a minute because I promise that there won’t be silence on my watch. HA !
(Pro tip : let the kids stay up to recreate a live show atmosphere - them running and bouncing in front of the TV should do the trick.)
Bono recently said to sing as an act of resistance. Well. He usually gives us pretty good advice doesn’t he ?
I hope to see you around. I need it. We need it. Resist and stay safe.
What time is it in the world ? (I’m not even sure what day it is to be honest....)
One thing for certain when U2 is involved…. it’s always PARTY TIME !

Happy Birthday, Bono!
Thank you for being such an admirable person!
Thank you for making so great a difference in our world!
Thank you for taking action to fight against injustice.
Thank you for writing songs that inspire our lives.
You always say that we give you a great life; but U2 gives us one too!
Greetings from Brazil!
Here's a picture taken in March of 2008 (12 years ago) in Dublin:

Happy Birthday to my favorite singer! I hope your special day is extra-special despite our unusual times. It’s easy to remember your birthday because it is the same as my Dad’s (and the one for one my brothers is the same as The Edge’s - I guess I was destined to be a U2 fan).
This Sunday is extra special too because it coincides with Mother’s Day here in the US - and, as it turns out, my mother was a big fan of yours too. By a strange turn of fate, we even saw a show together on the Vertigo tour; details here: https://zootopia.u2.com/forums/topic/39207-u2-and-mothers-day/
So, thank you for every song and live performance you helped bring into this world. You made millions happy. Thank you and the rest of the band as well for transforming the “absurdity of celebrity” into something positive. Whether is was Drop The Debt for Jubilee 2000, kickstarting ONE and (RED), or speaking truth to power to world leaders in general for your whole career, we are all proud of you. Your legacy will continue onward in this world long after you move on to the next.
However, it wouldn’t be a proper Bono thread without a proper action shot! This photo is from your most recent performance at MSG (July 1, 2018) - from the details in the picture, which song it was taken during will be apparent too. It’s been posted here a couple of times and is also the permanent background of my iPhone.
Happy Birthday, Bono! Come back on tour to see us whenever the world allows that to happen again - we’re ready. 😎

Happy birthday dear Bono,
Wishing you all the best for your 60th birthday. Maybe you had other plans than being in lockdown for it.. But eh, you're home, with the people who love you the most, and I'm almost certain you've got a few good bottles to celebrate so I'm not worried you'll have an excellent one!
We'll sure make some noise for you, in our different sides of the world (even if we don't need more excuses for our day drinking) - all apart and yet coming together to celebrate our favourite (very tall) showman. And I promise, that's gonna be one hell of a joyful noise.
Thanks for the light you (and of course those 3 other men) bring to us, our harbour in the tempest, the voice guiding us in the darkness and always and forever reminding us that there is a light... Turning it up as bright as the sun with your music.
Thanks for the magic. Thanks for the healing. Thanks for letting me believe that it's okay to be broken because those cracks can be filled with love if you let them.
I'll stop rambling now. I hope this new decade will finally bring you the answer... Can you change the world? Can you change the world in you? One thing is for certain, you changed the world in all of us.
Wishing you for this 60th birthday, love and peace or else.. But mostly love, I think that's the spark for everything else.
Take care B man. Hopefully, we'll be with you again soon. Happy birthday ❤️
PS : Yes I know, I've stolen quite a lot of your words. But what can I say? You're not too shabby at writing those.

As I said th other day, there's a few thoughts I'd like to share beforehand about that particular show. It's something I wrote a while back when the DVD came out. That live in Paris is for sure the most special one for me. Because I was there. Because I was supposed to be there. To that show that was postponed.
It's a long read and i'm very sorry in advance, but I hope it can help you see that DVD as I see it... and understand how so very special it is.
It wasn't an easy one to write, still not an easy one to share.. but there you go.
----------
The day has finally come! Worldwide celebration for the U2 fans and loads of happy dances spreading all across the globe, as the DVD U2 Live In Paris is released. We’ve been waiting for it for quite some time now, and even though we got a fix with the HBO edition, I think we’re more than happy to finally get the final cut into our houses. We will be able to relive those moments til the freakin disc breaks and enjoy all the sweet memories attached to the #U2ieTour.
Well, as far as I’m concerned bitter sweet memories let’s say. To be completely honest with you - even if it was probably one of the best show I ever went to - I wish it had never happened. I wish things had gone as planned. I wish that DVD would say “Live in Paris 15th of November”. Reality catches up unfortunately, and I am still really glad to get that DVD today, because it’s not just any DVD. For starters, it’s a U2 DVD so of course I’m thrilled! – but it’s way more than that… I have been willing to write an article about what happened in Paris for a while now. And yet, the words wouldn’t come out. Writing about those 2 last shows in Paris also meant writing about what led to them. I guess I was not ready, and I doubt I will ever be – but has Bono put it “There’s a time to cry. There’s a time to pray. There’s a time to shout” and the time has come to write and open up about it.
I don’t mean to get depressing and it might get a bit intense – but as a good friend pointed out to me, it was intense. I always let my emotions as a fan take over my writing, and it’s important to me to recall how important that show was – for all of us. I won’t mind if you don’t read it. I just need to write about it – As a U2 fan, as a music lover and as a French person. I hope a little insight will allow you to see through my eyes why those shows in Paris really meant so much for many of us.
November 13th, early afternoon. What a beautiful day that was. We were strolling around Parisian landmarks with my friend Dawn, who had come all the way from California to attend the U2 gigs in Paris. Some sense of bliss had taken over our minds. We had been waiting for that moment for so long. We were together in Paris, the sun was shining and we had great numbers in the GA line. We kept talking about how blessed we were at that very moment, and how amazing life could be – all because of U2. Obviously, we had no idea that the whole dream was soon to turn into the worst of nightmares…
And the night came. Probably one of the worst nights of my life when I think about it. Our fellow friends of U2 Achtung had thrown a U2 fan party and we were all there having fun and getting ready for the wondrous night to come with the guys the next day. I went out for a smoke and received that first message from a friend in the US, just a few words “Be careful, there’s some bombing in Paris” – what the hell? Dammit Paris, you s*** tonight.
I had just lit up my cigarette when one of the barmen grabbed my arm yelling like a mad man “Everybody inside! There’s some shooting a few streets away”. My only reaction was “Oh god’s sake, I just lighted this up! Lemme have my smoke eh?” – yeap. That’s the thing, you can’t realize what’s happening because it’s so unreal. You were partying a few seconds ago, and your brain can’t process anything. But soon, you start hearing the sirens blaring, people running and you get kicked out on the streets. Then it strikes you. You have to get the f*** out of this place as fast as you can. Run for your life, literally.
You still have no idea what’s actually going on but the increasing messages from your friend and family let you know that it’s not good at all. You try to go on the opposite direction of the police cars and rescue teams… but soon enough, there’s no opposite direction anymore. You’re just stranded in the middle of the mess. No metro, no taxis, no nothing… All you have to do is walk, really fast. Walk away anywhere else but here.
At this point, we had no idea what was going on. We only had heard about the first shootings and thought it was an isolated event – we realized the next day that we were actually walking right into the heart of the attacks. And we walked. On and on. Reading the same messages over and over again, ”I hope you’re ok. Get to safety.” It took us 4 hours to get back to safety. But we were far from ok – we had just found out about the Bataclan. And then, the longest hours started. Waiting for news from our U2 friends, other friends, family… basically everyone I knew that was in Paris – until I passed out from exhaustion.
And the dream faded away…
I woke up the next morning sobbing like a baby. I’m not even sure I stopped crying while I was sleeping. So many mixed feelings from glad to be alive, to the sadness of it all. I felt like an empty shell, staring at the wall, trying to process what had happened and was still happening. We had to check out of our hotel and ended up on the streets again. Empty dead streets. I often go to Paris since part of my family lives there and I had never seen the city so empty. As if time had stopped. Fear had taken over and paralyzed every single thing around. We stopped 3 times for a coffee, and we were sent away 3 times because of bomb scares. We met a few U2 friends around the arena, same look on our faces, hardly able to talk. No words. Just waiting for a confirmation that the shows were cancelled so we could get away from the center of Paris as quickly as possible. I just wanted to go home, I just wanted to hug my baby girl and tell her I loved her. F*** all this. It felt like I’d never smile again. Nothing good could ever happen after that.
That’s what those terrorists did. They didn’t just take lives that night. They took families and unfinished stories. They took our hopes, our joy, our dreams away. They took everything that was good in the world. And the “what if” started. What if we had taken the wrong turn on that street? What if we had gone to that restaurant a day later than we did? What if it had happened at the U2 show? What if, what if… The darkness taking over. No strength to fight back. Too hurt to get back on my feet. And yet, something was to happen that night. Something that helped me beyond words.
As always U2 rescued me and gave me that beacon of light I desperately needed. When I saw our four guys showing up at the Bataclan, standing there unafraid, a spark lighted up in me. I had to stand up too. I had to fight back. I’m French for god sake. We don’t go down that easily. The fact that the guys showed up there made me realize how lucky I was to be alive and that there was no way I would live in fear. They gave me a hand and raised me back on my feet. Once more, this band turned on the light when all I could see was darkness. A light holding a promise – they would be back.
And soon enough, the announcement came. They were coming back to Paris and those stolen moments were to be given back to the fans. It all happened really fast, maybe too fast in my opinion back then. We had just barely got out of that nightmare and the guys were calling us back to it. A choice had to be made, but it never occurred to me not to go back to Paris. People called me insane, stupid and probably delusional for not realizing what had happened. But I actually did, and very well thank you.
To be honest, I didn’t want to go back; I truly didn’t want to be back in Paris – but I knew I needed to. I knew that attending those shows no matter how afraid I was, would be the only way to achieve some sort of closure. That it was the only way to get out of the funk, be “stronger than fear” and let go of the nightmare. And I was right. I won’t say it was easy, I won’t say I wasn’t looking over my shoulder every time I heard something weird and I won’t say that the mood in the GA line was the same as usual. We knew we were up for some very special shows, and partly because we were all in some sort of special place ourselves. We weren’t sure we were safe or everything would go well. And for every U2 fan back in that arena that night, it was truly a leap of faith.
And the miracle occurred. I have no words to describe the emotions I felt during those two shows in December, and how much they meant to me. I remember looking up at the arena during Every Breaking wave and seeing all those lights around. Instant crying. I remember the beauty of those piano keys and the purity of Bono’s voice – and I remember us all. We were all there, unafraid, singing at unison and that sense of unity was the most powerful thing I had ever felt during a gig. The show went on, and Bono gave us his speech about choosing love over fear while Streets was chiming in. Right back to ugly crying because that was it. That very moment was what I had come for.
This explosion of joy, that roar from the crowd and the power unleashed by Edge’s guitar was a true electric shock sending me right back to life. There we were standing up for everything that is good in human beings. Love, hope, art, creativity, music, friendship… Dreaming louder than all the evils we had gone through a few weeks earlier. That was our freakin victory. That was our freakin answer. A celebration of love and life. The sadness was still present but the fear was gone. Completely gone. And when the band started playing COBL and the emotions took over with the names of all of those who had lost their lives that night – I truly understood that Paris was the city of lights that night. And we were those lights.
It was our duty to be stronger than all this and use our voices to drown out the haters. We had to celebrate life in honor of all those people gone too soon. We had to live every second at its fullest to do them justice. And that’s probably one of the main reasons why those shows felt so intense for everyone I guess. It wasn’t just about music, it was about taking a stand against hate. It was about being the best of what humanity can be. Choosing love over fear. Letting hope and dreams guide us toward the light. Never surrender, and keep fighting for what is good in this world. If you want to make the world a better place to live in, then do it. Make a choice. Take a stand. We’re the only ones that can remind ourselves that life can be good and that positive attitude can take over any evil.
So that U2 DVD will certainly not be only a DVD to me. Unforgettable memories that I will hold dear for the rest of my life. A reminder of how proud and honored I am to have been there, more than music and memories – it’s a proof I overcame my fears. All thanks to U2 (and a little bit me I guess).
We all lost something on the night of the attacks. Someone, something, ourselves… and yet, I had never been more glad to be a U2 fan than then. Because no matter what I lost that night, some of it has been returned to me during those two shows. They gave me the strength to fight back and they helped me dare dream again. And more than anything else, they reminded me that as long as you chose light, you chose love – and that hope held within can help you win every battle you go through, and defeat all evils. Choose love over fear. Always.
It’s now definitely the right moment to let go of all this, because after months of waiting – it’s show time.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the U2 fans around the world that supported us while we were in Paris. I received hundreds of messages that night and the days afterwards and I’ll never be able to thank you enough for those. All your kind words helped way more than you think. All of you were part of the beacon of light that helped me get out of the storm unharmed.

I think this gift is wonderful. I'm shocked they would release EI as a subscribers gift. I am very happy. DVD versus BluRay-I don't care. It'll be a good picture and it will have great sound. I still don't have IE on BluRay because somethng always eats up my money before I can get around to buying it. .
If I focus on being unhappy with the font when the Sun rises with my name on it-I miss the silent brilliance of the moment. Perhaps they'll release EI for commerical release on bluray, it will be a North America show and many of us will have our hope to have a physical copy of both fulifilled.
Props to U2. Fantastic gift.

It was a problem on all of their recent tours. A small group commandeers the front of the line, sets up their own lists and check-ins and pushes out the locals. Their feeling is that they follow the band, so they are entitled to the front row. It breeds resentment among those who cannot spend the time or money traveling around following U2 and only go to see them when they visit their hometown (I live in NYC, so they are here on every tour - I've seen them multiple times in the last 5 years without having to go more than about 30 miles from home). When you are seeing them in your hometown, your regular life (jobs, school, family) gets in the way of random hour check-ins and/or sitting in line for days.
I've said it before, I'll say it again. They need to put in the system that Springsteen uses. Depending on the size of the venue and the GA, X amount of numbered bracelets are distributed X hours before a show starts. A public lottery is held to determine which number becomes the front of the line and everyone falls in behind that person. The more often you go, the better your odds of being in the first group at least once on a tour. The locals have just as much chance of being in front as the tour followers. Done.

Now that the pre-sales are (mostly) over, I thought it was high time to give a place to show our appreciation to our moderators.
They volunteer their time to help us out, often at crazy times of the night.
So to @Max Tsukino, @mich40& @bigwave a huge thanks for all your work helping us during the presales (when we were stressed !) We all owe you a drink when we see you 😊
See you on the road or here in zootopia during the tour soon

Well ... That's been fun eh ?
Pretty emotional right now so i'll try to be quick.
Thank you. All of you. So so much for turning this idea into a reality, and a brilliant one
Those watch along really meant the world to me during those hard times and they have proven once more that we get to carry each other. Some people told me that i'm a U2 fan and a U2 fans fan. And it's true, i love this band just as much as I love this community and this whole thing is the perfect example of why I do.
Stay safe, stay strong. Don't let the silence settle though. Keep being those vibrant joyful souls that i'm honored to have met during those nights.
You all rock.
Thank you.

A facebook initiative had people posting their photos toasting Bono on his big day. This is a collection of all of us around the world celebrating (few cakes, cards and memories included) 🍻 Cheers Bono!

Bono turns 60 on this Sunday, the 10th of May. We want to celebrate what he means to us here in the Zoo. Please help us in wishing him the very best of birthdays in this thread with your own birthday messages, your favourite Bono moments, and favourite lyrics. Be sure to add your favourite personal photos to our Bono Photo Gallery here: https://zootopia.u2.com/gallery/album/674-bono-60/

As I'm only 23 and again as I've said, probably the youngest person here, I haven't been able to have the experiences other people here have had and sometimes it makes me sad, but I'm happy to be here now and not later. So happy birthday to my favorite singer and here's to many more years!
And here's one of my favorite pictures and a nice throwback... I've been trying to draw for it for a few days.

Yes - thank both of you for fleshing out the reasons why others and I complained right out of the gate. Your observations are what we were getting at.
It would be very useful to know what the site means exactly by the word "limited" in the description of this gift. It is "limited" in the sense of "special and truly unique" (and if so, how is it special/unique specifically), or is it "limited" meaning time-limited, i.e., it is the 2020 gift and not beyond that?
Will this concert be getting a wider release? That would be good to know too. IMHO, this show will certainly be released commercially - there is no way (again, IMHO) that this DVD will be the only way this show will become available. If this were the only place to get the show, multiple formats would have to be offered.
Further questions: if a worst-case scenario plays out (i.e., the U2.com edition is identical to the general release regular edition), would we at least get it in our mailboxes before it goes on sale to the general public? If it ends up being identical to the general release, and the general release goes on-sale first before any of us receive the U2.com edition in our mailboxes, any complaints posted here would be richly earned and deserved.
Well, let's hope for the best. More information about this show, I think we can all agree, would be very nice to have as soon as possible.
Also, there were a few comments above that were not completely well-founded, and I'd like to address those further here.
I think everyone knows that it's not very fun to read people's complaints on message boards and forums. However, what really matters is whether any objection is valid. I've read a few complaints on the site over the years here that have made me laugh and/or roll my eyes; I've read other that were right on point and addressed a failing that was/is properly a failing.
While it is no fun to read trivial complaints, it is also important not to conflate the rational objections with the irrational ones. There are some who conflate complaints about the shortcomings of the site and/or fanclub in general (and there are legitimate ones) as if they were complaints about the band. That's complete nonsense. The band and the website/fanclub are separate entities. Complaining about LiveNation/Island Records/Interscope Records/Universal is not the same as complaining about the band.
Also, there are a lot of causes that are leading to the complaints that have developed over a long period of time - that also isn't being properly acknowledged sometimes. There are ways that the benefits of membership here have declined over time; unfortunately, this seems to have coincided with the time when Paul McGuinness departed the stage and LiveNation took over. The benefits of being a member here were chronicled by a few above - and those mentioned are benefits. However, for other acts' official webpages, most/almost all the benefits mentioned are completely free of charge; U2.com is one of the very few official band pages that still charges a fee every year. Many bands used to charge, but now no longer do. Yes, the ones that don't charge don't usually have a membership gift, but an overwhelming majority of sites that don't charge do offer pre-sale ticket access. I would hazard a guess that the two main reasons most of us (including myself) continue to renew here are: pre-sale ticket access during touring years and the annual gift. Some might ask, "How about the forum as a reason?" Well, that may be in your personal top two (it would be co-number 2 for me) - however, as I already mentioned, most official band forums are completely free to sign up for and use - even a section of this site is free. I mention this because other bands manage a fully-functioning fan forum without charging; thus, site-upkeep as one of the reasons to charge doesn't really hold water - how do the other sites do it, if membership fees are truly necessary? (I'll stop here and leave other issues for later.)
Also, I would argue that our devotion to the band is what feeds our complaints sometimes - we want a site that kicks ass like our band does. When it falls short, we have every right to say so - hell, we have literally paid for the right. Being paid members here shouldn't require us to be submissively obsequious when we have a legitimate issue.
Well, I don't really wish to go on here. I have already resubscribed - gladly, proudly. In broad brushstrokes, as I said earlier, I love this year's gift - however, it would just be nice to have answers to the questions we all raised above.
Thanks again to the mods who read all these complaints, legitimate and otherwise. Peace. ✌️

I understand, and can sympathize with this reasoning. The problem is that you didn't pay $50 for a DVD. You paid to be a member of this website/fanclub. The gift is only one part of a larger sum. I don't understand people saying I didn't pay for this gift when they purchased something with multiple components. U2 never says what any gift will or will not be until it is officially announced. This is what they've chosen to do this year. It is what it is. I can undertand being disappointed. I can understand someone consdering if they want to keep subscribing. I don't understand the constant barrage of attacks against the band, and this website, when things aren't as one would wish. It's the chance we take when we subscribe. One can join this website for free, still be a part of the live threads and so much more. That costs nothng yet it's expensive, and a lot of work, to maintain a website. . .
This gift is one day old and people are already deciding that they are going to have to buy the BluRay. No you don't. You'll have the DVD. You want the BluRay. There's a huge difference. It's also presuming this will be commercially released on BluRay. From what I read, it's exclusive. There's been no indication of it being anything else.
It's EI, from Europe, and it's the Berlin show. I've read, numerous times, from many different sources, that this is one of the best U2 shows ever. I don't understand why people can't enjoy it for what it is. Thi is just how I see it.. We all possess the right to express our vews in these forums and threads.. It's part of our subscription. Your opinion has just as much validity as mine. We wouldn't be a community if it did not.

Now before we begin there's obviously more important things going on in the world right now. I am talking about the past and future of U2.com. I don't expect things to change straight away, but it would be great if by the end of this year they had a plan in place for 2021.
For a U2.com subscription you pay $50 ($40 if you are already a subscriber and renewing). Many of us subscribers feel that our money isn't justified being spent on U2.com and are dissatisfied with the service we are receiving. However because of our love for the band we renew every year. This isn't a rant against the moderators of the site as I feel they do an acceptable job. This isn't a rant against the band themselves because lets face it, they're not the ones running this site, and I doubt they suggest or have a say on what goes on here. Can you imagine Larry Mullen Jr telling Guy Oseary "Oh the fans would like that, give that to the subscribers"? No neither can I.
This is addressed to whoever is in charge of delivering content to U2.com subscribers. This could be LiveNation, this could be Guy Oseary, this could be their social media team. Whoever does it, and makes the choices on U2.com, this is directed at you.
For years U2.com has been slacking, the customer support is poor. The content for normal customers and paying subscribers is poor. You only need to look at bands such as Radiohead and Metallica and you can see how far U2 are behind.
Subscription "gifts" arriving late
This is one of the most common complaints about U2.com. The subscription gifts are always late! Now granted we expect this years gift to be late and no one is at fault for that. However my personal experience of U2.com has been a disaster, and this is why people complain about the customer support. 4 times I emailed U2.com because I moved address. Each time they confirmed the "gift" (I put "gift" in speech marks because it's not technically a gift if we're paying for it) would be sent to my new address. They then proceeded to send the gift out to the old address. I got back in contact and they shipped a new gift out to my new address, although they got that address wrong too, so I have no idea where this second gift is. I then got back in contact and asked to be changed to the 2020 gift. They confirmed I would be changed and would send me an email confirming so. Months later and no email. It's not only "gifts" that arrive late. But often items bought from the U2.com shop go missing, or take months to be delievered with no explanation. Another personal experience I've had with the U2.com shop is when I bought a Berlin poster. Couple months had passed and I was wondering where it was. Turns out they had cancelled the order, didn't tell me, weren't going to tell me (my assumption because it had been months since I placed the order) and didn't automatically refund me.
EI Berlin
Where do I start with this one? How did you mess up this release so bad? Releasing a 480p DVD of a concert is OK, as long as it's not the only physical version of this concert to exist. Why film a concert in 4K if you're going to release it in 480p? I assume this part would be more directed at Universal, and they probably pulled the plug on this being released for retail (which may have given us more format options) but surely U2.com could have made the 1080p on demand video available for as long as you hold an active account for and not just a year? In around 10 months our only means of watching this show will be on a 480p DVD. Guys (or even Guy if you made this choice) come on, it's 2020. Could you have not made a 4K download available to purchase? That most likely would have decreased the amount of piracy that the subscribers stream received. You guys really shot yourself in the foot on this one.
Subscribers specials
This is probably the most important section and it's the content that us paying subscribers receive. In 2019 we received 5 subscribers specials; "'DUTCH MASTER'", 'MUSIC UNITES', 'WOMEN TAKING OVER', 'IT MAKES MY HEART WARM…' and 'IT'S NEVER BECOME THEIR JOB…' I'm not counting the 2019 gift updates for subscribers because they were just gift updates and informing us that new tracks were ready to download. Now with respect to all those involved, those 5 specials weren't of the highest quality, nor were they the longest. I think the longest was 3 minutes 30 seconds? This is where U2.com could and should do so much better. Give us better content and more frequently. Do more things with the band. An idea could be a Q&A with a band member every quarter. All questions go into a thread and the band member answers them. Give us behind the scenes stuff from tours, how stages are built, more full length clips of the band performing songs. So far we receive a 20-30 second clip of a song that was filmed whilst the band on tour. Now obviously the whole song must have been filmed yet they choose to give us only a small part of it. Why is this? A full length song a month would be a great idea. We know you have the pro shot footage of them.
The purpose of this post is not to cause anger or offend, but it is to encourage constructive criticism of U2.com. In recent years this site has had around 100k paying subscribers which is around £4 million give or take. That's a lot of money, and surely can justify better quality of content being delivered. Some ideas could be to have all the official pro shot material available to stream on U2.com. Things such as band performances, full concert films, full songs from tours, audio files of songs being performed live, and just more content from the band themselves. You could even have the band recording a couple songs a year and broadcast that on U2.com. Have A4 poster designs available that we can print from home. The possibilities are endless. This site could be so much more, yet it feels like they're not trying. Streaming ZOO TV is a nice tough but lets be honest, everyone has watched that to death by now and that can be easily watched for free elsewhere. A true subscriber special would be to give us something we haven't seen before, or remastering ZOO TV to HD etc.
And remember LiveNation, produce better quality content, more people will subscribe and you'll get more money! 😉

Staring at the ceiling for 2 hours 17min is not as much fun as watching U2 shows with cool people from around the world...
But I suppose nothing good is forever and precious things have a limited lifespan...
In any case, I suppose that in the year 2053 I can tell my grand-nephews that while the 2020 quarantine sucked majorly, among the very good things that I was lucky enough to experience and make it more bearable was the #U2getherathome event... And I sincerely hope everyone around here (and beyond) will have the chance to remember this for many, many years...

...and I was just given confirmation by email that my vote for this primary was received and tabulated today!
Consider this a small blow against the tyranny expressed by those who would prevent us from being able to vote from home! 👍

An amazing end to a fantastic idea from @Madfl3a
These are difficult times for us all and the U2 DVD viewing has been a highlight of each week (even if I have to get up at early o’clock- its totally been worth it)
Thanks to everyone (everyone !) for their camaraderie, jokes & memories over the past weeks. It’s been awesome- U2 fans are the best.
Lets hope its not too long before we are all hanging out in a GA queue waiting to see U2.
I hope you & you’re families stay safe and well.

We owe @Madfl3a big, big time for all these weekends. There are no words, but "thank you" is a good start... so: thank you. What she gave us was a glimmer of, well... hope. And that should not be forgotten. Ever.
Something else that should not be forgotten is all the comments, photos, memories brought by everyone in the fan community. It was fantastic - let's never lose what we brought around here all these days.
It's fantastic.
It's our strenght...
Thanks to everyone... stay safe, girls and boys...

Woah, that is an amazing and beautiful story! Streets is such a powerful song... I think if you can go through the opening of that without tearing up the least bit, then you have no soul haha. Every now and then I like to watch the 2002 Super Bowl performance and when they go into Streets, no matter how hard I try I can't keep myself from tearing up. It was such an amazing show to help us Americans heal from our tragedy at the time and I'm glad you guys got your moment too. I think Bono once said "We play Streets when we need God to walk through the room." I'm glad you were okay and got to have that moment.

Thank you everyone (everyone) here & on Twitter for another cracking Sunday morning (I’m in the future lol)
Great time, great music & most importantly great friends getting us though this together.
You’re all awesome (and don’t you forget it !)

Hello from France :)
Hope your are all doing well and safe home.
Here is a glimpse of my first U2 show, was 19 and was living near the arena.
Funny fact, my parents were at home, at about 3 or 4 km from the venue, and they could hear the whole show ;)
Stay safe all :)

How good a gift this is or isn’t will really depend on if it gets a physical release to the general public or not. To renew it cost me around £30. If the show is only going to be released for subscribers or at the very least the physical format is released only for subscribers then I think it’s a good gift. However if they decide to release it publicly on Blu Ray at a cost of usually around £15 then someone who isn’t a subscriber will be getting a better format of the show for half the amount I paid. So as I said it all depends on how exclusive this is to us.

Now is a good time as ever... THANK YOU to every one of you... these live threads are fun, but your presence, comments, photos videos and experiences shared are what make it worthwile... This Joshua Tree Tour 2019 adventure has come to an end... there is some sadness because of it, but thinking of what's next here in zootopia - up to including a future next tour - is... well, hope.
Stay cool as usual, people of Zootopia... we'll see around...
Obviously, extra special mention to the best mods in the whole wide world ---> @mich40 and @bigwave ... if all this is good, with your guidance, patience and general company it becomes even better than the real thing...
take care, girls and boys...

These two shows for sure we're without a doubt fantastic... the band is in top form and you could feel, even from a distance, that they were really happy to be back in Japan.
but what made the experience richer, and without a doubt better, is that you are with thousands who are feeling similar if not the same as you. Bono may be right: elevation could come by sake, some chemicals perhaps, but these days it were from all and every one in the community.
and with luck it stays that way...

whatever happened to staying in the line? it's not right that people can take a number then piss off and check in every now and then. I have seats for my show so I don't have to be concerned with this crap.
imo if you line up you stay in line unless you need a loo or food break... or a shower. if you leave the queue for longer than it takes to go home and have a shower I say you lose your spot

I complained about the check-in system in 2017. I hate the way it's got so out of hand on recent tours. When I saw U2 in London on the Vertigo, 360° and IE Tours, it was sufficient to join the queue early in the morning on show day and you could get a great rail spot. That all changed on the JT and EI Tours - now, even if you arrive the day before the show, you've probably already missed out on a low enough number because they start the "list" about a week in advance, and lots more people are getting a number early because they're not required to put in the effort of staying in an actual queue.
I'm not in favour of randomising the GA line, because it would probably make things even worse for people like me - I'm really short and struggle to see anything even from the second row. I don't believe that being short entitles me to a rail spot, but I'm willing to sit in line for a long time to give myself the best chance of getting one. Unfortunately that is no longer enough; I would have to spend an absolute fortune booking a hotel room for the whole week before the show, and even then, they're bound to move the goalposts and start the list a fortnight in advance. It's just getting silly.
I can understand the use of "check-ins" if the venue don't want people camping overnight or all day due to heightened security, but still, there is no reason to start the list more than about 24 hours before the show. It's complete rubbish how the line leaders claim they're doing it for our own benefit, to prevent a "stampede" or whatever - a problem that never existed in the first place! They're only doing it to ensure that *they* can get in first, and they've apparently befriended U2's security team so they're always allowed to get away with it, pretending the fans are all on board.
I think the current system would be OK if only the list was started by venue staff instead of fans, to ensure it happened at a reasonable time in a well-advertised location, and any pre-existing unofficial lists would not be honoured. First come, first served, and in the unlikely event of a "stampede", no-one gets a number until a civilised queue has been formed. We used to be perfectly capable of lining up in order of arrival - I'm sure we can still manage it!

It's made it to news websites now. https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/117202408/new-zealand-u2-fans-livid-with-internationals-over-general-admission-system-in-auckland-gone-rogue?cid=facebook.post
What started out as a cool fan thing has mutated into a sense of entitlement and a way to game the system. Venues need to grow some balls and draw a line in regards to this.
I saw Muse at the O2 in London a couple of months ago. I arrived at the GA line to find a group of fans writing numbers on people's hands as they entered the line. At one point venue staff came and said this was unofficial and therefore they as a venue would not recognise it. A few people got upset but I applauded internally. More venues need to follow that example.

We apologize but we need to take a few hours to rest before the Wires presale tomorrow.
If you have a question or an issue to report, please write it here (or send us a PM) and we will come back to you as soon as possible...
Thanks for understanding... see you in a little while...

Just some thoughts about Ticket Pick Ups at 7/11.
I wandered into a random one the other day, and talked to the dude working there.
You will need the Ticket Order Confirmation e-mail with your ticket number on it (about 15 digits). You can either print it out, before you go, or take your mobile device with it on there.
(For example my confirmation e-mail was sent to my i-phone e-mail, so I will take the phone and show them the e-mail.)
The staff enters your ticket information into the register and prints out the ticket(s) for you. They might get you to push a 'confirm' button on a screen. They will also give you a receipt to sign. And that's it.
Simply say 'Ticket Pick up' and show the e-mail and you'll be fine. Don't forget to smile.
The only small confusion I had with my dude at first was he thought I wanted to buy tickets at first.
I recommend you take some I.D. with you (just in case) and maybe have the credit card with you...again just in case.
Also maybe some small change in case there is a printing fee (maybe 300-400 Yen/ 3 or 4 bucks).
Most staff will be able to understand simple English spoken a little slowly and clearly.
The ticket confirmation e-mail also includes Japanese instructions for the Staff if they give you a WTF? look. but I don't think there will be any issues.
this part of the e-mail:
[STANDING FRONT/REAR, SS/S/A SEAT]
Tickets must be picked up at a Seven-Eleven store in Japan prior to the show, and will not be issued at the venue.
Tickets will be available for pick up from 20th November (Wed) from 10:00am.
When picking up your ticket(s), you will be required to show your e-mail purchase confirmation to store staff. Please ensure you print this in advance or are able to access it on your mobile device.
After the staff have confirmed the Ticket Number shown in your e-mail purchase, they will print your ticket(s).
Make picking up the tickets a priority when you get into Tokyo. Don't leave it to the last minute.
Don't lose them, they cannot be re-issued.
I hope this is some help, it may be redundant as others may have already posted about it.
Keep on Rockin' and Rolling.